Democracy

           Iranians want their government to focus on the economy and political reforms this year, according to a newly released Zogby Research Services poll. The top issues Iranians want addressed are expanding employment opportunities, advancing democracy and protecting personal and civil rights…
Garrett Nada             The 2,600-year-old Cyrus Cylinder, widely considered the world’s first human rights charter, is now on display in Washington, D.C. ― the first stop on its tour of five U.S. museums. The U.S. founding fathers were inspired by the Persian monarch Cyrus’ tolerant rule of…
            On February 12, President Obama said Iran’s leaders “must recognize that now is the time for a diplomatic solution” to the nuclear issue, during his State of the Union address. He warned that the United States will do “what is necessary” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.…
Ellen Laipson        The State Department's recent naming of a Persian-speaking press spokesman, Alan Eyre, opens a potentially important channel in the long-stagnant U.S.-Iran relationship. The absence of contact or inability to communicate at official levels means that American diplomats are…